NBA
Is Larry Nance Jr. playing tonight (Apr. 12) vs the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated12 Apr 2023
The New Orleans Pelicans had a strong second half of their season to climb their way back into playoff contention. Injuries to their top players have derailed any momentum built, but the Pelicans still have a chance to make the playoff. That starts tonight with a win vs the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tonight, veteran PF Larry Nance Jr. is questionable to play due to left ankle soreness.
Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Jose Alvarado (leg) are both out tonight for the Pelicans. They ended the season strong going 7-3 in their last ten games and landed one of four spots in the West’s play-in tournament. Standing in their way tonight is all-star PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a young Thunder squad.
NBA betting sites have the Pelicans at (-210) to win vs OKC tonight.
Larry Nance Jr. is questionable for Wednesday's game#Pelicans | @MorrisBartLLC https://t.co/ExwLzVpr4O
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 11, 2023
Larry Nance Jr. is questionable to play tonight due to left ankle soreness
Nance Jr. played his first full season with the Pelicans this year after being traded to New Orleans mid-season in 2021-22. He played in 65 games and made one start, averaging (6.8) points, (5.4) rebounds, and (1.8) assists per game. This is the most games he’s played in a season since 2018-19 when he was still with Cleveland.
The Pelicans went 3-1 in their four-game season series vs their Western Conference foe. Three of those four games were decided by four points or less and all three of the close wins were by New Orleans. Oklahoma City won their most recent meeting on 3/11 when they took a 110-96 loss on the road.
On paper, the Pelicans are the better team, but the Thunder have been a scrappy team this season. They are led by first-time all-star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was one of six players to average over 30+ points per game this season. He played in 68 games and averaged (31.4) points per game in the regular season. He’ll need to carry his team to a win tonight vs a Pelicans team that has some savvy veterans.
